Homeowners band together to fight increased property taxes
While New Westminster, B.C.'s residential property assessments went up by more than 9 per cent overall, some homeowners have been hit with a much higher increase.
James Crosty, a local citizen advocate, saw the assessed value of his condo increase by a whopping 52 per cent, prompting him to reach out to neighbours and band together to appeal their assessments.
You might want to do the same.
Keep in mind that it's one thing to explode over an unexpected jump in your bill and quite another to crawl through the labyrinth of assessment procedures -- most of which vary sharply among provinces, and even from city to city.
Whether you decide to cry solo or enlist an advocate's help, the process is essentially the same: Establish that you really have been over assessed, file a grievance, argue your case before the local assessment board and, if you're still feeling put upon, launch an appeal before some sort of tribunal.
How much information is available varies depending on the jurisdiction, but in general, residents of large metropolitan areas — and residents anywhere in Ontario — have access to municipal databases that reveal a wealth of historic sale prices and current assessment values.
In Toronto, for example, homeowners can go to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation website and scroll over an interactive map, which provides information on 200 nearby properties.
Once you’ve marshalled your facts, you pay $75 for a formal hearing about the reassessment. Before that happens though, you're encouraged to contact the MPAC and try to resolve things more informally.
Deadlines, along with the appeals process, will vary across the country – in Ontario, for instance, it's March 31 -- and so does the amount of time permitted for an appeal.
Do you plan on questioning your property assessment? Do you know anyone who has?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Quarmby | Feb 3, 2022 9:56:27 AM
Here's another typical example of property tax abuse. My wifes' family has had a cottage on Lake of Bays since the sixties. her parents built a small new 1200 square foot, unpretentious but lovely, cottage on the property in the late 70s. The annual taxes have skyrocketed to over $7,000 per annum...WHY...I'll tell you. Since the fifties, Lake of Bays building permits, services and taxes were adequately handled by the town of Huntsville. Sometime in the new millenium, another regional district was unneccesarily formed to serve the 2,500 odd permanent residents (Lake of Bays regional District). I say unneccesarily because by this time the lake had been 98% developed and all services and such were in place and allocated sufficiently. So, they built themselves a lovely and very expensive building, hired more unrequired civil servants, elected a few of the local parasites and started to piss away money! Taxpaying Canadians don't need anymore levels of government and don't owe a living to local wannabe politicos and other "hangers on" that can't find work on their own. Hopefully, as I believe, this recession has yet to begin and will become a full blown depression; bad enough that government paychecks will start to bounce and the unneccesary fat will be trimmed. Unfortunately, I believe things have to become that unstable, in order to reset the common sence button and eliminate the perverse sense of entitlement that seems to prevail among government employees.
Posted by: FEDup | Feb 3, 2022 10:29:37 AM
Well said quarmby. The government stopped serving the interests of it's people long ago, now it's just serving the interests of it's employees. It's disgusting and infuriating
Posted by: Wilhard Barth | Feb 3, 2022 11:26:12 AM
I just sent off my complaint. I am in Ontario, and own a couple of Industrial Condominium Units. The system of apeal is set up as advisarial. Even my request for consideration is called a complaint, as is my appeal, after the request is denied. The cost of each property appeal is $150.00, whether the property value is 20 million or as in my case 75 thousand each. I won all my appeals and more, indicating I was right and they were wrong. However, I pay for it all. Further, every year the clock is reset, because the process takes more than two years. I have allready overpaid for two years. Maybe, appeals should be looked at as a review of assessment and taxes payments deffered until fees, value and taxes due are agreed upon. I can imagine this would really speed things up. But, putting the people, the property owners in a control position would be anti govermnemt. You can complain but don't expect anything!
Posted by: Time to Speak UP | Feb 3, 2022 12:31:30 PM
While I agree with most of what has been stated so far, I think that we are missing the real issue..the root cause. The Property Tax System in Ontario is broken...Period. I don't know if all my facts are correct and I would certainly enjoy being corrected by anyone who knows more, but it is my understanding that the Provinccial Gov't of Ontario gave up on regional assessment offices which were scattered throughout the Province and downloaded this "Service" to MPAC who operate under contract to the Province. Now, because the Province didn't want to pay too much for this service, MPAC had to decrease its head count to save money, and were also charged with coming up with a "model" of "current value assessment"...ah yes...so, do away with people, re-allocate resources to computer modelling thereby increasing values and by extension taxes to Municipalities that were all crying the blues because of previous Provincial downloading and what do we end up with ??? You got it...the good citizens of Ontario WILL PAY....they always do and until such time as we collectively make this Provincial Govt far more accountable for its actions, we will continue to pay. And because there are so few people in the system for appealing, we wait, and wait. It almost seems to be a deliberate step to make the people of the Province wait to the point of frustration and hopefully they will simply give up their complaint and go away. Bottom line on Property Taxes and the system employed, is that it is broken and requires immediate change. I would really like to hear from some former Assessment Office Personnel on their take on what is currently happening in Ontario.
Posted by: celina nikkel | Feb 3, 2022 12:51:02 PM
i own a property in a small town it has residential suites on the upper level and commercial on the lower level which have been unrentable due to the nonexisting economy. its almost impossible to pay for all the expensences that a proprty of this type has and on top of that the small grocery store it had was pushed out of the way by the big guys coming in to a small town of 4000 people and just killing all the small buisness with the help of the local idiotic governing body this town has. the people in power well lets not call it power lets call it idiotic elected morons. they allowed a big conglomerant to come in and push all the little guys around,and then they raise the proprty taxes so you cant possible make a go of any type of venture. im sick and tired of all the political bullshit that happens in a small town and all the backyard deals that happen behind closed doors this is a misuse of position. by sept of this year i have to come up with 8000.00 dollars for taxes or they put the building up for sale so i guess ill probably lose all the investment that i worked all my life for to one of the inside scum that will be able to purchase the property.the banks wont help thats another piece of work in itself lol. i guess in this country you have to be a criminal to get anywhere at all. i have a friend writing this for me as i have disbilities that do not allow me to do so for myself and i thank him for his help.welfare told me if i didnt have property than i could get assistance theres another crock of crap lol.they want you to be on the streets before they will help you out/if you qualify what a joke if there is anyone out there that can help with financial loan or advice i would truly appreciate it a loan is what i need to consolidate my bills i owe 200000.00 on a property worth 350000.00 and i dont want to lose it and start all over again at 57yrs of age good luck to all of you out there and i guess we have to keep fighting to survive in this world. it so unfair that so many have so little and so few wait to feed on the carcass lol
Posted by: Doug | Feb 3, 2022 1:17:06 PM
The issue of property taxes is huge not only to people,but to people in business.It's local governments who are spending like drunken sailors, and the last level of government to figure out that they cannot raise taxes every time a new mayor comee to office with a new list of pet projects.
Federal and provincial governments have at least recognized that high taxes kill the economy.Some have been more successful at lowering them than others,but at least they get the picture.Local governments raise property taxes every year.Some say it's only by the "cost of living" increase.But even if that were true,property tax payers are not getting "cost of living" increases in the pay cheques.And it must be noted that property taxes are paid with "after tax dollars",but the rates are increased with pre tax numebers.Either way,the payer loses.
Local property taxes can also be job killers.We had a lumber mill in BC that was paying $6 million per year in local taxes.After years of trying to lower them,they closed shop,and built a new mill.In Arizona,where they pay $675,000 per year.
As Parliament argues about lower corporate taxes,and provinces debate the same thing,it must be remembered that businesses are impacted by their "TOTAL" tax biill. And that total includes local taxes.If that TOTAL is to high,it makes no difference to a business who collects that tax.They will always look for a jurisdiction in which their TOTAL tax bill will be reasonable.
So,the same taxes that home owners find onorous and unreasonable, are the same for business.In it's not provincial and federal governments doing most of the tax increases.It is LOCAL governments.The hardest ones to get under control,and the ones that can do the most damage to a fragile economy.Maybe it's time to think about either federal or provincial formulas to at least put a cap on what property taxes can raise to.Not an easy task,but we need something better than a few local mayors with big spending plans calling all the shots.
Posted by: Gordon | Feb 3, 2022 4:15:17 PM
It's always someone else's fault right? Folks I hate to break it to you, but it is our modern north american way of life that is at fault. We all want more - bigger houses, more pavement, more government services, higher salaries. It all adds up to higher costs. In 1975 a grader cost $55,000 now it costs $300,000. Look at fuel prices. My grandfather worked 12-14 hours a day to survive, is not the average worker doing the same now? The difference is he lived in a 500 ft2 house and stayed home in the winter. We want a 3000 ft2 house, a $60,000 vehicle, 3 cell phones, cable and at least 1 vacation in Mexico! Until we all learn to live smaller and demand less, things will continue as they are. In the future there will be no middle class.
Posted by: Belle | Feb 3, 2022 5:14:29 PM
Gordon, you need to quiety crawl back beneath the damn rock you came from. Something tells me you are part of Big Bank or Manipulative Govenrment. One ofthose blood suckers bleeding us dry. Yes, news flash! We need the vacation so we don't go insane from all the hard work and taxes we pay, we need to re-boot, re-charge, is that is sin?!? Is it that bad to want a house with enough spce so our kids can run around and not live in a can like sardines? This world has gone to the shits out of greed and selfishness...The big guys on top live the ridiculous lavish life, and the ones who are trying to get by, keeps struggling and getting pushed down. Recently I noticed something, banks are for those who can afford their services, not those who need it. This world is unbalanced, selfish, unfair and heartless. And this is why it has to go up in smoke and let civilization start all over.
Posted by: Quarmby | Feb 3, 2022 5:25:46 PM
You're partially right Gordon, although not everyone lives beyond their means....too many do. The problem is that government services are decreasing and costs increasing. Too much government and too many bureaucrats are what will eventually bring down our system. We cannot and should not be required to, feed the overpaid, unaccountable, underworked, mollycoddled, selfserving and bloated civil service. Furthermore, a good percentage of these departments are redundant. My point is that there are just too many unneccessary levels of wasteful government in Canada, ie; Federal, Provincial, Municipal and Regional....all being supported by a dwindling number of actual producing members of society in the private sector. The people have given up in a sense, after years of watching the various governments live far beyond their means....the general population has just decided to "join the party"...and will worry about the consequences later...assuming that they are bright enough to realize that there will be consequences. There comes a time in the life all debts, when they become due and payable....that time will be here soon.
Posted by: had enough | Feb 3, 2022 5:54:46 PM
I live in an automotive town in Ontario. We have been hit extremely hard by the recession. Probably felt the effects more than any other community in the country. I admit that were very fortunate in the past. The auto industry provided many well paying jobs for many years. It is however a very competitive industry. The wage increases that were negotiated by the unions were always paid for with increases in productivity believe it or not. This meant more automation and fewer workers for the same output. The municipal workers would always use us as an example to justify their wage increases. They did not earn them with productivity increases(they have yet to automate garbage pickup). They were paid for with tax increases. I always believed that is was only fair to share the wealth. If the community was prosperous the municipal workers should be well paid. When the auto industry collapsed Ford Mo. Co. went from over 6000 employees a few of years ago to less than 1000 today. This was only a fraction of the well paying jobs that were lost. GM shut down a plant, Lear and many, many other feeder plants. The income of the vast majority of residence were hit hard. In the midst of this our municipal workers went on strike for two months to squeeze more out of the tax payers. I believe in sharing the wealth when things are good but what is miissing from the system is a mechanism to adjust the wages of municipal workers when the economy goes bad. Something other than foreclosure.
Posted by: Gordon | Feb 3, 2022 6:25:30 PM
Yes Belle, I will go back to my rock which is the same 980 ft belly button house my family of 6 + 3 have lived in for 20 yrs. driving my 1997 buick. I do get a little jealous when 25-30 yr olds pass me with their 4x4 diesels to go to their $450,000 house. But then, I chose this administrative gov job, not the oil field, the potash mines or the auto assembly line. Kids with no skills at the mine make more than I do, but that's ok, I could change careers if I wanted to. The wealthy have always been at the top of the food chain. That's why our great-grandfathers left the old county - to start a new life here. I'm guessing you are the type of person that pays $100 for cable TV but complains that your water & sewer bill is over $60. You are right - it is greed and selfishness that has led us here. Quarmby is right also, a day of reckoning is coming, but guess where we the middle class will end up? Yes, gov is too big, but the elected officials will give the masses what they want to stay in power: home improvement grants, useless jobs, "free" health care and so on. Reminds me of a story of wild boars tamed by a smart fellow with a wagon load of corn - make them dependant on you and you can lead them anywhere. I quess we need to stop complaining about those above us and help those below us.
Posted by: Shaker | Feb 3, 2022 6:36:07 PM
I have appealed the assessment of my cottage property on the Bruce Peninsula twice, and both times I have prevailed. I did my homework and based my appeals on hard facts. MPAC tried to intimidate me at different times during the process but I refused to be deterred. I approached the process as business like as possible and when speaking with the folks from MPAC I kept repeating the phrase `I am prepared to enter into evidence`` …and I was prepared.
I am surprised that more of my neighbours have not taken the time to appeal their assessments because I am sure that they would prevail as well. Lake Huron and Georgian Bay water levels have continued to decline since 1987 and are now at almost the same record low levels of the mid '60's.
Low water levels in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay generally mean reduced property values for many waterfront properties. This decline in waterfront property values should have resulted in lower MPAC assessments, but it hasn`t. MPAC assessments have continued to increase year over year.
If the government (whether it be Federal, Provincial or Municipal) does not want to address the dropping water levels in this Great Lake, then they should be made to recognize the impact that their inaction is having on property values and ultimately their municipal property tax revenues.
Posted by: Michael | Feb 3, 2022 6:46:19 PM
Surely the present system of propert taxes is discriminatory and should be challenged under The Charter. I could list a number of reasons it should be challenged but I will leave it up to you to make your own list.
Good luck the old will need it!
Posted by: Albertan | Feb 3, 2022 6:56:29 PM
As a financially literate individual I find the entire calculation of property taxes in my city very interesting. The city justifies raising the tax rate around 4% annually based on "inflation." This seems kind of counter-intuitive when they also increase the value of my property by about 5% annually (again I am told this is based on "inflation"). So the net effect this year is a 9.2% increase per my city council based on "inflation 2X"? At the same time I see that the Bank of Canada is currently listing its inflation rate at 1.4%?
Anybody else think I am getting doubledipped in inflation at an inflated amount?
Posted by: H. F. Demelo | Feb 3, 2022 8:57:04 PM
What is happening here in Canada is that owning property has become a burden where it creates the weak underbelly (soft area) and an easy way for governments to get more money,afterall where else are they going to meet their high valued budgets.People if you think what is going on in Egypt today is not going to happen here, think again. The problem lies is that we Canadians verbally complain a lot and do nothing about it , governments know where to go a get more money but all we do is bitch. We are the biggest bitchers in the world besides Americans. How many Canadians go out and vote? How many Canadians know ttheir neighbours, Food prices,Condo fees, Taxes especially taxes keep going up ,up every year,when was the last time you seen taxes go down? So what have we done about it people...nothing. I for one is contiplating selling my property and really becoming free...It is all BS..Yes be proud own your own home...if you can afford one and pay the taxes on it...Wake up people..
Posted by: celina nikkel | Feb 3, 2022 9:18:21 PM
well folks i believe as canadian citizens we are all partialy right and are all basicly trying to make a living and that is getting harder and harder to do. my spellings not to great so i appolize. the culprites are the banks with their greed and basically there ass kissing of the folks that have the big money.did you know they take your money and invest it at higher rates for them selfs and give you the minimum amount of interest.the big phone companies that continuosly rip us off ever month raising prices at any time they want to.the government has stopped it for now to make themselves look good to the people but you just wait a few months and see what happens lol its not getting easier and it will probably end up in years to come you might just see what you are seeing in egypt you can only screw the populus for so long and then they are the ones who will bring change hopfully peacefully with protest after protest.our leaders are not there for us they have to passifie the ones that hold the cash and can support there reelections if only i was a good liar id run myself lol lmao
Posted by: Quinto | Feb 3, 2022 10:51:19 PM
STOP, To yak about & do some T....
Posted by: Walter Black | Feb 3, 2022 11:24:25 PM
After reading above comments I think:
We need Egiptian to tell us what to do.
Posted by: celina nikkel | Feb 4, 2022 12:04:10 AM
yes walter you may be right about that or maybe aliens lol better yet a seeing eyedog can show us the way woof woof
Posted by: GHAMMELL | Feb 4, 2022 3:03:50 AM
Rising property assessments doesn't mean certain rise in property taxes.